*Disclaimer*
Everyone is different and likes and dislikes different things. Reading is no exception. One person’s all-time favorite might seem too bland or too high stakes for another. That being said, the opinions of our judges in this contest are just that, opinions. Just because we let a book go, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It could be your next favorite, who knows?
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more about the contest here.
Today we are reviewing Fire of the Forebears, which was Bookborn’s pick for this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. You can watch their review here. And you can see the finalist spreadsheet here.
Before the review, we would like to take a moment to offer our condolences to the author’s family and friends. L. A. Buck passed away in the fall of last year. This was her debut novel and we feel privileged to have gotten a chance to read it.
Pitted against one another, with the people and country they love in jeopardy, the daughter of a deserter and the son of the king have a chance to fulfill their forebears’ legacy—or destroy it entirely.
Twisted monsters called saja lurk in the shadows of the mountains. Rumors say the Fidelis, human wielders of an ancient elemental magic, again walk the plains. Not all in Avaron believe, and not all welcome the return of legend.
Kura’s a skeptic, but she’ll cross and befriend centaurs, talking animals, and worse to save her family after the rebellion mistakes her for the land’s prophesied savior. And, while he’d rather negotiate with rebels than fight them, Triston can’t ignore prophecy. That was the sham his father used to steal the crown in the first place.
Over a century ago, their ancestors sailed the oceans in search of peace and died as heroes fighting for it. But heroes—and villains—aren’t always what they seem to be.
Our Thoughts
The pros and cons of Fire of the Forebears split our judges down the middle. Everyone thought the worldbuilding was interesting and unique, but one of those unique aspects fared better than the others, namely: talking animals. Some thought they were a great addition to the story, though maybe slightly underused, others felt turned off by them completely. This was definitely a case of ‘to each their own’.
Aside from the animals and worldbuilding, the book had some good characters and interactions between them. But nothing that gripped us as much as we had hoped. So, we unfortunately had to let this book go. But if you are someone who enjoys unique worldbuilding and talking animals maybe this will be your next favorite read!
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And again, you can see the list of all the finalists and their scores here. Our judges are Julia Kitvaria Sarene, Kerry Smith, Max Freeman, and Jennie Ivins (me). If you’d like to learn more about us, including our likes and dislikes, you can read about them here.
Any queries should be directed at me, Jennie Ivins, via DM on Facebook and Twitter.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
Geoff Matthews